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Disclosure:

I am compensated occassionally for some posts.

Same Blog-New Place

This is now my old blog address-I am now one of those Wordpress geeks and my blog now sits at www.SixFeetUnderBlog.com . So, please visit me there and if you subscribe to it, you will be my new best friend and chocolate chip cookies will fall from the sky.

December 1st last year. When Green People from Mars asked me to do it and when I wanted to share all the foolishness from my life.

What kind of blog do you have?

A Blog on mere foolishness and stupidity. I'm not sure what to call it.

Do you make money from your blog?Not as of now. Though, would love to make some to meet my chocolate needs.

What do you do to network/promote your blog to bring in readers?I love reading and commenting on the Blogs in my Reader. My Comments brings back readers. Though, I did once think of dropping Pamphlets from a plane. My Parents didn't think it was a wise thing to do.

How do you balance blogging and family?Family first, blogging next. I spend most of my time with my family. Blogging happens only in the night and early in the morning.

How frequently do you post?Ans. Once in every two or three days.

Do you own a business and blog about your business?I don't own a business. I don't blog about the not owned business either.

What do you recommend to blog about?

Yourself and your views. The ones that are honest and from your heart. Everyone loves to read about you.

Has blogging changed your life in any way?

It has. I have got to meet so many wonderful Bloggers and learn about their lifestyle. I have also met nice people who are always there when you need them the most.

Who are your favorite bloggers?

Many to name. I love all their blogs.

What is your blogging style?

Writing everything that comes to my head first. Even though that can be hazardous at times, it works.

What do you do when you get writer's block?Eat chocolate and think of ways to play pranks on my brother!

Do you have any advice for newbie bloggers?

Never spend hours creating a post. Writing what hits your head first is the best thing to do. Reading other Blogs helps in learning new things and also opening you up to the Blogosphere.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Stop over at Swati's blog to say "hi" and enter to win my book!. This is my final stop on my virtual book tour. I will let you know about any other appearences I will be making in the future! Thanks, everyone for your support! Love and hugs!

We were lucky to be chosen to receive a Puma outfit to review and model from the Parigi Group!

For nearly a quarter of a century, Parigi Group's collection of brands that we all know have defined the children's fashion apparel market. They represent brands such as PUMA, Apple Bottoms, Akademiks, and LRG.

We were given an adorable Puma skort and t shirt to review.

Emily loves fashion and when she gets to model cute outfits, she gets all excited. She loves to parade around and show off her new outfit. This outfit is a great representation of Puma.

You can tell it's made with quality fabric and the details are amazing.

You could easily cordinate this with other Puma wear.

I grew up with Puma, and I know that this is a brand you can trust.

Win it.

I am giving away the same outfit (well, the company will send your own to you) to some lucky reader. Unfortunately, it has to be a size 5.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Comments are a big part of blogging. Some bloggers may determine the worth of their blog by how many comments they receive daily. Some are even obsessed by it, visiting other blogs just to see how many comments they get and getting jealous when they see that a certain blogger gets twice as many comments as they do on their blog. What is so important about comments? Should we as bloggers, be so concerned with them?

Sure, it's great to get comments, but comments can play a different role in determining the popularity of your blog. According to the Blog Herald, there are 70 million blogs out in Internet land. With so many blogs, the only way to to be found may be by commenting. And commenting. And commenting. Bloggers have a lot of blogs to choose from these days, so many tend to visit bloggers that visit them-basically, because they don't have time to go searching.

Is this fair? Not really. Especially when some bloggers don't necessarily have a great blog, but get tons of comments. It can make one wonder if comments on blogs are sincere ones, or are they just being nice because the blogger visited their blog?

Returning a comment is good blogging manners. Visiting a blogger's blog that left you a comment is a common courtesy. You should always leave them a "thanks for visiting" comment, but there needs to be a line drawn between when we comment back, and when we don't.

So, do you give great comment? What's great comment? Great comment should be one that was left on a blog that you truly like, not JUST to get a comment back. Leaving a comment on a blog that you would enjoy coming back time after time, makes you a sincere commenter, unlike a fake commenter, who is just looking to get comments back. This way, you can build your reader base honestly, and you can feel good about returning the favor when they leave you a comment.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

With today's problems in middle schools and high schools, like bullying, shootings and the fear of your child not getting the proper education they need, more and more parents are choosing online learning for their child.

Finding an online school that offers the proper credits that your state requires may confuse some parents. Online School Solutions could be your answer. Online School Solutions offers available online school programs for your area.

What about parents that aren't sure if online learning is the right thing to do?

Some facts about students that learn online:

Online students have more interest in attending a four year college after graduation than students in traditional schooling. 78% vs. 67%.

54% of online students get more challenges when they are doing well in school vs. 49% of students in traditional schooling.

58% of online students get more help when they fall behind vs. 40% of students in traditional schooling.

A success story:

Military Family.

Karl, a child of a military family, moved numerous times throughout his high school years, but wanted a consistent education experience. With online learning, Karl had the chance to excel at his studies and even graduated early with a 4.0 grade average. Karl embraced the independence and self-mastery that online learning fostered.

Deciding if online learning is the right choice for your child is a personal decision, but the rewards are outstanding!

This my honest review of OnlineLearningSolutions.com. I received a $20 Target gift card for my review.

I would so leave my husband for this vacuum cleaner. This vacuum has a Pet Power Paw™ that removes pet hair from carpet and upholstery! It also has a charcoal filter with HEPA Filtration to absorb pet odor and allergens-how cool! The first time I used it, I was surprised at how fast it filled up with dog fur. Okay, not really. I knew we had a lot of fur. My other vacuum just didn't pick it up. I went through the house and vacuumed everything. I could of made enough dog fur sweaters for everyone in Alaska with all the fur it picked up. This is a pet lover's dream.

Now, let me talk about CSN stores. You know I love CSN stores online shopping. Whatever you need, you can find it here. You never have to leave your home. Shop. Click. Done. A couple of days later, the delivery guy knocks on your door with your product. LOVE IT! Right now, they are even offering free shipping on lots of big products-is it Christmas???

So, if you have pets, I suggest you get one of the Eureka Pet Lover Oh! Upright Vacuum. You will love it!

I was given this product for free to review from CSN Stores. This is my honest review of this product.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

A topic that may not come up often until it's too late is insurance. Life insurance, home insurance, car insurance are just among some of the important types of insurance to have and in some states, it's required. Do you have insurance? If so, are you covered for everything that life may throw at you?

Aussie (http://www.aussie.com/) not only offers home and car loans and a credit card, they also carry insurance-including funeral insurance. If you live in Australia, some benefits Aussie Direct Life offers are, you can be covered from 10,000 to $1 million, you can keep your policy for life and you have a 30 day money back guarantee.

Getting a life insurance quote is super easy as well, just use the form on the site! there are no medical exams or bloods tests to take. You won't have to fill out any forms either. You can find an Aussie Shop locally by using their user-friendly search option. How simple it would be to purchase security for you and your family?

Monday, June 21, 2010

Most parents don't realize the importance of proper fitting shoes on their children. Ill-fitting shoes can cause health problems down the line like, knee and back pain. Four in five children could be wearing ill-fitting shoes that may cause them long-term damage, say experts. Starting when they are infants, a proper foot measure is necessary for comfort. After all, they can't tell us when their feet are sore or scrunched.

Start-rite Shoes provides help in getting your child in the right size shoe. Start-rite is a company that makes comfortable children's shoes with the service of fitting shoes properly for your child. They have 400 locations around the world and a helpful website that showcases their shoes and gives helpful advice about fitting shoes, crawling, walking and care for your little one's feet. For example, did you know that you should cut toenails straight across instead of curving them? This could cause ingrown toenails. Also, you need to make sure that you get socks that fit, because if they're too tight, they can cramp the foot and cause deformity! The opposite can cause blisters.

I DID NOT KNOW THIS!

If you are unable to go to one of their retail locations, the website has a shoe sizing chart that is printable, so you can measure your child's foot size to order the proper shoe for them. You can also order your own fitting gauge to have on hand so you will know their foot size before you even leave your home!

Here is a video to demonstrate how to measure their foot.

So, the next time your child out grows their shoes, make sure you take the proper "measures"(get it?) before you buy their next pair.

Yesterday probably was the worse Father's Day. It was one of those days that if something could go wrong, it did. I've found that if I try to plan something and look forward to it, the bad luck gods come down and do whatever it takes to make sure that my day goes wrong.

We started out our day by getting a text from my oldest daughter early in the morning, telling me that she was fighting with her boyfriend and she was coming over. Okay. I was fine with that. Shortly after, she called me saying that she was stuck downtown with a flat tire. Crap. I woke the hubby up to say, "Happy Father's Day, can you go change a tire?"

After that fun experience, we attempted to have a nice lunch. We went to the hubby's favorite restaurant and got the I-take-more-tables-then-I can-handle waitress. We were seated at a wet table, not given a kid's menu, and waited 15 mins to order (while watching her get a big tables drinks that came AFTER us). I decided to change my usual order to something new-not a good idea when your day already isn't going the greatest. I got a charred burger that was blacker then my new car.

As I was sitting at the table, I realized that I never order my daughter's collage of her son for his dad. CRAP! I quickly text her and hoped that she wasn't too mad. She was okay with it since she was mad at his dad anyway. Whew!

After lunch, we went to hubby's favorite store (Best Buy) and my youngest had a shopping break down and we were forced to buy a game for her- I know, don't give into tantrums. The way our day was going, I was sure had we not got it for her, she would have sprouted a big hairy head with big teeth and taken over the world.

Then, we get a call from the step daughter saying that her mom was leaving early, with no consideration to the plans we had and the time we planned on her coming. Luckily, we did work that one out-was there hope yet?

The rest of the day seemed to work out for us, thank goodness. I thought maybe my mom had cursed us, since usually I take her out on Sundays. I'm sure it was just a fluke, but just in case, next Sunday is wide open, Mom.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

I started my family blog in October of 2005. We have family in other states and it was a way to update them with pictures, etc. of our son. He was 5 months old at the time.I started Angry Julie Monday in June of 2007. Before that, I was veryactive on parenting forums and birth boards. I got tired of postingsomething and getting no responses. I started my personal blog topost whatever I wanted, and people could just comment.

Do you make money from your blog?

I have ad networks on my blog. I make a tiny amount, think monthlypedicures and money to pay my hosting fees.

What do you do to network/promote your blog to bring in readers?

I promote my blog through Twitter, my Facebook Fan Page, SITS (Secretin the Sauce), The BlogFrog, and through commenting on other blogs andparticipating in memes and blog carnivals.

How do you balance blogging and family?

I don't. LOL. Seriously, I find it very hard to balance. I considerblogging to be a hobby. I'm like anyone else with a hobby. I'm verydedicated and can get way too involved in it.

How frequently do you post?

I post approximately 5-6 times a week.

What do you recommend to blog about?

I think tutorials of any kind are always good blog material. A recipe,craft, how-to, are my most popular blog posts.

Has blogging changed your life in any way?

Absolutely. I've had a ton of opportunities come across my way with my blog that I would never have. I've gone on two trips that were brand sponsored, because of my blog.

What is your blogging style?

I'm a personal blogger. I blog like I speak.What do you do when you get writer's block?I go through my pictures. I usually blog from my pictures or things going on in my life that week.

Do you have any advice for newbie bloggers?

Don't name your blog with something "mommy or mom". There are a ton of them out there and the name will be hard to remember. Decide what you want to "put out there about your life".

Once you write something, it is there in Google, and it is hard to take it back. And don't compare yourself to other bloggers, because there is always someone better and more popular than you.

When I was looking for a new car back in March, I did my fair share of research on the Internet, comparing prices, models, etc. to find out what the best car would be for me. If I had known about TheCarConnection.com, I think I would have found the right car in less time.

TheCarConnection.com is a site that offers advice and reviews. It also allows consumers to add their own comments and keeps the consumer updated with consumer news. For example, if you wanted to find out what a Toyota Land Cruiser price was, you would just type it in the search box.

When I was looking for a car, I was interested in a Nissan. I would have been able to find out any reviews on it, price, and consumer opinions as well. Everything is neatly organized on the site and very user friendly. I also would of have found out if the Subaru Tribeca price range was something I could afford.

When you are ready to buy, you can search the classified section to find a vehicle of your choice. You can search by price range, vehicle type, fuel type, location and year of car. You can also get an insurance quote on the vehicle of your choice as well.

It's amazing how you can find everything you need to know at one place. With the way every one's schedules can keep them too busy to find out the things they should know before buying a vehicle, TheCarConnection.com can be a life saver.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Have you ever had one of those weeks when nothing has gone right? I think this week was one of those weeks.

This week, my youngest acted like her brain was taken over by aliens. She has been bossy and mean and throwing fits over little things.

This week, nothing has been going right with my book promotion. Am I going to get a book signing soon?

This week, my daughter and I got in a knock down, drag out fight with my brother. I yelled at him because he yelled at my daughter and made her cry-sorry, but it's an automatic reflex of mine to lash out at anyone hurting my kids. My family has a habit of holding grudges (not me, mind you). Last time I got in a fight with my brother, he didn't talk to me for 6 months. Maybe he will talk to me by Christmas.

This week, we found a dog cringing by our garage, in the rain. We realized that he had been hit by a car. He was hurt badly, but luckily he had a collar with a phone number on it. His owner was frantic and it looked like he had been crying when he came and got the dog. Damn drivers that hit animals and drive off.

This week, I got in a big fight with my hubby over a stupid thing. I hate fighting with people.

Now, it's finally Friday. I am done having a crappy week. I need a truckload of chocolate.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Awhile back, I had a great opportunity to review a wonderful product from CSN Stores- I love CSN Stores! Well, I get to do it again-woo-hoo!

CSN Stores probably have just about everything you can think of, even if you are redoing your bathroom! They have beautiful Bathroom Vanities. I actually am in the process of redoing our bathroom and I so would love to have this one!

You could spend all day looking through all their sites. I feel like a kid in a candy store when I browse through everything. I know I could use one of these, because ours broke recently.

So, what am I going to review this time? You didn't think I'd tell you, did you? Try to guess!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

I started in October of 2009, kind of against my will! I am writing a book about single mothers and I had two writing instructors tell me I should start blogging to build a platform...and now, I really love it!

What kind of blog do you have?

My blog is for parents and single parents. I write about daily life as single parent, dating, and interactions with my daughter. I like to mix it up a bit so I try out my short stories too and book reviews...and, of course, I include articles and fun quotes.

Do you make money from your blog?

Not today. I do the book reviews for free. I've had a few people approach me for product reviews but I've held off. I was worried I wouldn't write enough original material if I started doing reviews or advertising products.

What do you do to network/promote your blog to bring in readers?

I am on Twitter Moms, the Mom Bloggers Club, Blog Frog, Single Rose.com, and I comment on other's blogs. I also blog at workingmother.com. And I'm also on Twitter and I have a Facebook FAN page. The more I post and comment and tweet, the more followers I get!

How do you balance blogging and family?

What? Oops.Ok, I need work here....I try to do it when my boyfriend isn't here and my daughter is at her dad's - but sometimes an idea just gets me and then I have to WRITE!

How frequently do you post?

I am trying for twice a week but there have been a few weeks when I didn't achieve that. I try to have articles and things on hand so there; always something new coming out.

Do you own a business and blog about your business?

Nope. I am really focused on writing the book. Though I will be starting a consulting business in a few weeks (business consulting, corporate strategy, human resources, project management).

What do you recommend to blog about?

I think people love hearing the details of how others think and feel as they experience daily life. Not just a listing of what happened - but really how it impacted you and what you felt inside. I also think it's a great place to show your stuff, take a little risk, and try different writing styles!Have your readers influenced you in any way? Oh all the time - I am always amazed by what people say and think - and how kind and giving they are of themselves.

Has blogging changed your life in any way?

Yes! It's so much fun to blog - it ALWAYS puts a smile on my face! I lose myself in it.Who are your favorite bloggers? Well I enjoy so many...of course I love this blog, Tess! And Mrsblogalot (http://mrsblogalot.blogspot.com/), Organic Motherhood with Coolwhip (http://organicmotherhoodwithcoolwhip.com), The Poverty Diet (http://thepovertydiet.wordpress.com/), The Passive Income Queen (http://thepassiveincomequeen.com/)...and seriously, I am out there reading all the time - I am certain I am leaving about 20 others out accidentally!

What is your blogging style?

Very casual but I do like infuse humor when and where I can in terms of life's everyday learning and insights. Really it depends on my mood or what I am writing about - some of the writing gets kind of serious too.

What do you do when you get writer's block?

I wish I had the Golden Egg answer to this one - I get so grumpy and force myself to stay at my computer. Honestly, I think I should just go out and give myself a day off, but I don't. Sometimes when I get back the next day, I say,"Ok that writing wasn't total garbage, I can make something out of it..." My last bought of writers block lasted three weeks - ouch!

Do you have any advice for newbie bloggers?

Yes - jump right in a come play with us!! Other bloggers are fun and definitely will cheer you on. There's a whole other world out there!! Just know you will have frustrating moments, but stick with it and you'll make it.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Speaking of cars, Along with finding cheaper car insurance, finding a reliable car repair place seems to be a problem, especially for my oldest. Heck, even knowing what is wrong with her car is always a hassle.

When I heard about RepairPal.com, I thought finally, a one stop for finding out about what might be wrong with your car, where to take it and ratings on the shops in your area. For example, if you have a Ford F-150 , and your check engine light comes on, you can look it up in the site's encyclopedia area and find out what it can be and possible solutions.

When you are ready to find an auto shop , you can type in your location in the search area to find a shop. So, say you live in San Diego and are looking for a San Diego auto repair shop. Just type it in and it will give you different shops with reviews of them. What great help for us women!

As you know, I've been trying to find my place in the writing world. I've been busy writing articles and it's taken a lot of my time. I'm not complaining. I like it and don't have plans to stop writing articles. The thing is, while I've been busy with this, I realized something.

I MISSED YOU GUYS.

Not in the you-should-be-worried-that-I'm-going-to-stalk-you sense, but that I missed my blogging friends and the support they gave me. I've missed not being able to visit other blogs as much and I kind of been forgetting about my blog too. I've been blogging for over a year now and worked my butt off to build something with it. Don't laugh, but in the beginning, I went into this with the intention of finding some way to make it be what I do. I guess I just got lost on the way and didn't know how to "build my brand" from it. Was I a photography blog? No. Was I a product review or contest blog? No. I'm not any "kind" of blog, but I still like my blog. I still like to write. I still like you guys.

So, what to do? I decided that I will come back full time on this blog and start giving back to my blogging friends that have stuck by me through thick and thin, even when I was a bad blogger friend who didn't visit as often as I should have. I have some ideas for my blog and I'm not sure if you noticed, but I opened a community in Blog Frog (look to your left-lol). I plan on using this platform for a community that will have free stuff, articles on parenting issues, blogging, working at home, etc. I am going to try to partner with a blog designer to see if they would be willing to "give" some free templates for readers to use in exchange for advertising (if you are a designer who is interested, let me know!)

I also was thinking of putting my Coconut Hut Club Series as online books, with each chapter posted on my blog or maybe in the community. Please let me know if anyone would be interested in me doing so.

I have been so occupied that I haven't even promoted my other book, Anonymous very much! So, I am setting up a virtual book tour in the next couple of weeks. (Thanks Swati, for offering an interview!)

So, please check my community out and start a discussion or reply to one-it's very lonely right now. Oh, and I'm open to ideas on what to do with this community.

With my son reaching driving age soon, I've been a bit worried about what is going to happen to our insurance rates. I mean, insurance companies do not like teenage boys. Though, I think that he will be a more careful driver compared to my oldest daughter, who has been in a couple of accidents, the first being when she was 16 and totaled my car.

Finding affordable insurance doesn't have to be hard. Auto Insurance Me is a great place to start. They help you find an affordable insurance rate that suits your needs. Just fill in your information like name, state you live in and make and model of your car and you get a quote from them.

Auto Insurance Me also has helpful information on their site. You can find out about what type of vehicles determine how much your insurance rate would be. This site also explains about the major insurance companies and what they have to offer. It also explains other insurance terminology.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Health experts from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases state that 37 million people suffer from seasonal allergies. From pollen to freshly cut grass, allergens can be uncomfortable for someone suffering from them. Treating allergies can be expensive with visits to the doctor and costly medications. These home remedies can offer a cost-effective solution and can prevent potential dependency to medications.

I would like to thank you for bringing me back to reality. I adored you. I read your blog every day, hanging on your every word. I bought your book. I praised to other bloggers how wonderful you were. How down to earth you seemed. Heck, anyone who would invite people to their house had to be awesome. I used to think that you were the only famous blogger that didn't let it go to her head. I WANTED TO BE JUST LIKE YOU.

Now, that has all changed for me. I know you get a lot of "gifts" sent to you from fans, businesses, and other bloggers. So I sent you an art piece that I worked hard on. I thought it turned out quite well too. Then I waited. And waited. And waited. No note from you to say, thanks for your kindness!Nothing. I would of even settled for one saying that you hated it and please stop being an artist, you suck.

Then I began to think. Maybe she never received it? Maybe it got lost in the mail? So, I sent you a nice short note, asking if you received my artwork and that I hoped that you liked it. No reply.I tried to tweet you to just check on it. Silence. I guess all those bloggers that you do comment back to must be real somebodies for you to talk to-do you know The Real Housewives?

I'm sorry, but I don't care how big a blogger gets, you should still acknowledge us little guys. I'm not a stalker. I just admired your accomplishments-you started out little just like me. After all, if it wasn't for us little guys, you wouldn't have readers to qualify you for all those "big bucks" advertising.

I don't come to your blog anymore and I've unfollowed you. I'm sure I've been missing out on some great posts and great photos. I actually miss reading it, but I can't support someone who is just too busy to respond to her readers. How long would it take for you to just type "thank you" in an email to someone that took days to design something for you? Sure, you didn't ask for it, but an act of kindness goes a long way. I've heard around that others are unfollowing you too after they just reached out to you for advice, only to get the cold shoulder.

I really hope you like your artwork, or I hope that at least you are using it to cover that hole in the wall that you've been trying to figure out what to do with.